lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

...so putting it all together I see it as being the result of houses becoming more accessible (ref: the financial crisis of 2008/2009) - and shorter attention spans.

huh?

I think homes are more AVAILABLE, but that doesn't directly mean more accessible, especially when it comes to the "ignorant and uneducated" . Five or six years ago you could be making $30k per year and get a $200k+ mortgage no problem but those days are long passed.

there is a lot of nonesense on these boards, but that is nothing new. I personally haven't noticed any rise in it.

As to what I think you are saying is the OP's point, that people own houses but don't know the first thing about how to maintain them, I think the exact opposite is the case. Information is so readily available to anyone these days, that people are more educated in DIY home repair than ever before. Products and tips that used to be closely guarded "trade secrets" are now available to all for the asking.

As I said before, I think the OP started this thread as a vehicle for his political commentary. Too bad he wasn't himself lucid enough to realize that his topic really should have been filed under off topic rather than building and construction as it has nothing to do with either building or construction, other than he obviously lives in a house constructed of glass

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lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsreallyconc

anyone else noticing the lucidity of questions is dropping faster than obama's positive ratings ? can only assume either too many ignorant people now own homes thanks to b frank & c dodd OR no one paid attn in english class & can't communicate properly. OR maybe its just me

It has nothing to do with home ownership.

The majority of people never did write very well. That's not a big deal, and is why some people are English Teachers while others are carpenters, mechanics and firefighters. It's not any kind of an indicator of intelligence.

However, the advent of Microsoft Word - complete with spell-check and grammar-correct, has made it easier to be a sloppy writer. Also, most people under 25 do more texting on cell phones than anything else. That leads to sloppy, abbreviated writing.

lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

I actually think many of the home and building and improvement shows hurt more than they help at times. They trivialize what is involved in home maintenance and improvement and are often the only exposure---save for crappy box store demonstrations---new homeowners get.

The flipping and staging for sale shows were the worst but things like Extreme Makeover that get a house built in a week, Design on a Dime and the other sub-standard programming give false impressions of what it really takes to keep a home going.

And it is a shame real estate agents are not more honest about what it is going to take to keep a house going. I saw so many attracted to old houses, my specialty, that were in so far over their heads from the day they closed.

lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdsester

I actually think many of the home and building and improvement shows hurt more than they help at times. They trivialize what is involved in home maintenance and improvement and are often the only exposure---save for crappy box store demonstrations---new homeowners get.

The flipping and staging for sale shows were the worst but things like Extreme Makeover that get a house built in a week, Design on a Dime and the other sub-standard programming give false impressions of what it really takes to keep a home going.

And it is a shame real estate agents are not more honest about what it is going to take to keep a house going. I saw so many attracted to old houses, my specialty, that were in so far over their heads from the day they closed.

Agreed.

HGTV has provided people a LOT of ideas about a LOT of "really cool" home improvement projects. But people don't realize it's not your typical homeowner who is doing the work and providing those amazing results. As a result, too many people don't "count the cost" before they grab a hammer and pry bar.

The "House Flipping" shows are also just straight-up absurd. In the real world, people RARELY make big bucks quickly and easily. If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it. I've made some pretty good money buying, FIXING and selling houses. But that's a lot different than "flipping."

I don't, however, believe it's the Real Estate Agent's job to tell people how much it's going to cost to fix an old house, or what all will be involved. The Agent's job is simply to show and sell houses. He/she works for the SELLER.

The bottom line is that people need to be SMART ENOUGH to not get in over their heads. I'm going to be helping some relatives - a young couple who just bought their first house - install new countertops in their kitchen this weekend. No big deal. But they would NOT be able to do this themselves! Not now, anyway. It's baby-steps time for them, and I'm helping them get started.

lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdsester

I actually think many of the home and building and improvement shows hurt more than they help at times. They trivialize what is involved in home maintenance and improvement and are often the only exposure---save for crappy box store demonstrations---new homeowners get.
.

I think there has been a shift in the last couple years, and they are airing more and more "Renovation Realities" type shows and others that depict homeowners in over their heads.

I do think that there is a lot of value in all these shows, but seriously, if there are people that think watching a 30 minute show will teach them how to totally remodel a bathroom,they are probably a little misguided to begin with. it's hard to blame the TV shows for that

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lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

In my younger days, I was "ignorant" just like every other human alive
I was not born with knowledge, so I had to learn
I have never been asked a stupid question, because at one time---I didn't know the answer.
I am 65 years old and still ask questions

Just so everyone will know, I changed spelling of "human" in this edit.

Bush's approval rating declined steadily since shortly after 9-11. My point was simply that the OP could have made his point better by using Bush instead of Obama, but that might have meant admitting that half the country has pretty consistently believed that Obama is doing a good job.

I realize opinion polls vary greatly, but I personally haven't seen too many from sources I'd consider credible that would give any credence to some on the right that would paint our current President as one of, if not THE, worst we've ever had. It's a shame what our political system has become, and believe me, I spread the blame to both sides equally.

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lack of education OR too many people own houses ?

DM, that makes you a better man than most, for which you are to be commended; a true gentlman and scholar, as the saying goes.

Giles, what do you mean by "in my younger days"?!?!?

Well--I guess any time I was youngher then 65 because there are many things that I am still "ignorant" about. And YES I do make mistakes everyday MAINLY SPELLING even though I have and use spellcheck occasionally.